Alton S. "Al" Kircher was an American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

, basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, and baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 player and coach.

Coaching career

Kircher began his coaching career at Trout Creek (Michigan) High School in 1935 as the boys basketball coach. He maintained the position until the end of the 1937 season. During his time at Trout Creek he won two cage titles for the school.

Kircher then return to his alma mater, Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

, where, as a student, the Gladstone, Michigan

Gladstone, Michigan

Gladstone is a city in Delta County in the U.S. state of Michigan. First settled in 1877, Gladstone's original name was Saunders Point. The population was 5,032 at the 2000 census....

 native had lettered in baseball, basketball and football. He was an assistant coach in each of those sports there from 1939 to 1950, and was head basketball coach

Michigan State Spartans men's basketball

The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...

 for 1949–50 season.

Kircher then became the 20th head football coach at Washington State University

Washington State University

Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...

 and he held that position for four seasons, from 1952 until 1955. His coaching record at Washington State was 13 wins, 25 losses, and 2 ties. As of the conclusion of the 2007 season, this ranks him 12th at Washington State in total wins and 26th at Washington State in winning percentage (.350).

Honors and awards

Kircher was inducted in the (Michigan) Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

External links

• Al Kircher at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com